ANTI RACISM AND OPPRESSION PLEDGE

Take the anti-racism and oppression pledge! We are asking organizations, people in power including politicians, communities, schools and other spaces to sign this pledge to make a public commitment to antiracism and oppression work. This will ensure we hold our community accountable. Please do not use without our explicit consent. Contact us if you need to get instructions on how to present this information to your organization or group. If you want to take the pledge today, sign up for our newsletter to add your name to the pledge. Scroll to the bottom and click “Sign the Pledge” after you enter your information.

I PLEDGE to create safer spaces for people who experience oppression and hardship.

I PLEDGE to seek the education of the history of racism and how it continues to affect certain groups including people of color, immigrants, women– specifically including trans women and femmes, differently-abled people, members of the 2LGBTQIA+ community and others.

I understand that we ALL have the capability to be oppressive (even if we are members of an oppressed group) and that to debias my subconscious and behavior will take long-term education and commitment to the work.

I understand that my own oppression doesn’t exclude me from being oppressive to others, even people who experience the same brand of oppression I have.

I understand that I don’t speak for my entire community and that whatever position of power I hold will be used to amplify the voices in my community and I PLEDGE to listen to voices who challenge me.

I PLEDGE to be open to criticism even if presented in the unkindest ways because I will abstain from tone-policing and silencing people who have been marginalized, silenced or oppressed.

I PLEDGE to give emotional space to those who are suffering and hurting from racial or oppression trauma.

I understand that bias doesn’t define my moral values and that although I am not a racist or oppressor I can still exhibit behaviors that are racist and oppressive.

I PLEDGE that I will question and challenge oppressive behavior when I recognize it even if it’s uncomfortable or difficult. Even by simply asking “What do you mean by that?”

I understand EVERYONE has some privilege and many of us have felt oppression in some form. However, I PLEDGE to check my own privilege and set my personal feelings aside to make space for those whom experience a different kind of oppression.

I PLEDGE to abstain from sharing my personal oppression stories when other people, specially people of color challenge my racist words and behavior. Instead I PLEDGE to listen with compassion, empathy and simply ask what I can do to help even if it’s just to listen.

I will seek to understand how race, class, sexual orientation and gender compounds all forms of oppression.

I will abstain from tone policing oppressed people and I will learn empathy techniques that can show me the best possible way to be a healing force in my community.

I know that racism and oppressive behavior can affect people in all political parties, religions, cultures and spaces and that my personal belief system does not make me immune to oppressive and problematic words and behavior.

I promise to be mindful of what I post on social media and say in public spaces or meetings.

I PLEDGE to ensure the organizations I work with or lead will be safer as I will work to ensure the people therein receive the education necessary to make this happen.

For allies only:

I know that I am white or white passing person with very limited perspective on what life is like for black and brown folks. I therefore PLEDGE to take a backseat to the conversation of race unless it’s time to challenge white people or educate them on oppression and race in white-only spaces.

I understand my race grants me privilege I did not earn but was granted to me by systemic racism and as such benefit from it every day. I am proud to stand with my black and brown community members in yielding my spaces and positions of leadership to make way for them, to amplify their voices, to ensure they are heard over me, to ensure their stories are fairly told, to tell their stories from their perspectives, to do and say what they ask me to say instead of assuming and taking up space.

If there are people of color in the room (physical room or digital space including social media), I PLEDGE to be silent on the subject unless asked to speak in posts created by people of color or conversations led by them. I know that by doing this I am creating more equitable spaces and in no way diminishes me or my work.

I PLEDGE to develop black and brown leadership anywhere I can.

I PLEDGE to be a visionary of harmony, knowing that harmony isn’t simply ignoring color or pretending oppression is a thing of the past. I understand anti racism and oppression work is a journey and a daily commitment.

I PLEDGE to recommit daily to creating the community harmony we all dream of having and know full well the burden has been on people of color for too long and it is now my turn to educate other privileged folks as I continue to learn and grow myself.

I understand the title of ally is not something I give myself but something I can earn as I commit to the work daily by entire groups and communities of color.

Race and oppression touch every space, every day. Thank you for committing to making spaces you’re in safer for others who aren’t granted the same privileges you are.

Please sign this PLEDGE as a commitment to the work.

Thank you for taking the pledge! You will receive emails to help you continue your education.

I realize by reading this that I have in the past taken up space by speaking when not being asked to do so.
There are powerful points in this pledge and I sign realizing that though I’m not overtly racist I’m of a mother culture that has imbedded biasses in me I’m only beginning to address.
I sign wholeheartedly and look forward to the journey.